J.R. Lobo, former Mangaluru City South MLA, said here on Wednesday that if treated water is supplied to villages enroute from the Thumbe to the city using the old 2.5 MGD capacity pipeline and if the second phase of the water supply projects, under the Asian Development Bank (ADB) loan, were completed properly, water crisis in the city could be addressed effectively.

Addressing presspersons, Mr. Lobo, who was the Deputy Project Director of Karnataka Urban Development and Coastal Environmental Management Project (KUDCEMP) that implemented phase one of the projects under the ADB loan, said that nearly half of the total volume of water pumped from the Tumbe vented dam to the city was getting leaked.

Water wastage

While about 30% of the water gets wasted because of leakage in the old PVC pipline networks in the city, 20% of water was being drawn by villagers enroute the pipeline from the vented dam.

Under the second phase, ₹461 crore will be used to improve water distribution network in the city.

Drainage works

Another ₹170 crore was being used for underground drainage works. “I made use of my official contacts during my stint as MLA to get ADB funds for the second phase of works,” he said.

Mr. Lobo said he also intervened in the issue of providing treated water from 2.5 MGD pipeline to enroute villages, which was pending.

He prevailed upon the Karnataka Urban Infrastructure Development and Finance Corporation to take up the work under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation scheme.

“If these two works are effectively implemented, then there will be no water crisis in Mangaluru,” he said.

Mr. Lobo said in the first phase of ADB works, improvement of underground drainage got preference and ₹145 crore was allocated, while ₹110 crore was allocated for drinking water projects